hatchet, and offered to furnish answers to certain appalling
sums. But Amy had not forgotten Miss Snow's cutting remarks
about "some persons whose noses were not too flat to smell
other people's limes, and stuck-up people, who were not too
proud to ask for them;" and she instantly crushed "that Snow
girl's" hopes by the withering telegram, "You needn't be so
polite all of a sudden, for you won't get any."

A distinguished personage happened to visit the school that
morning, and Amy's beautiful drawn maps received praise,
which honor to her foe rankled in the soul of Miss Snow, and
caused Miss March to assume the airs of a studious young
peacock. But, alas, alas! pride goes before a fall, and the
revengeful Snow turned the tables with disastrous success. No
sooner had the guest paid the usual stale compliments, and
bowed himself out, than Jenny, under pretence of asking an
important question, informed Mr. Davis, the teacher, that Amy
March had pickled limes in her desk.

Now Mr. Davis had declared limes a contraband article, and
solemnly vowed to publicly ferrule the first person who was
found breaking the law. This much-enduring man had suc-
ceeded in banishing chewing-gum after a long and stormy war,
had made a bonfire of the confiscated novels and newspapers,
had suppressed a private post-office, had forbidden distortions
of the face, nicknames, and caricatures, and done all that one
man could do to keel) half a hundred rebellious girls in order.
Boys are trying enough to human patience, goodness knows!
but girls are infinitely more so, especially to nervous gentlemen,
with tyrannical tempers, and no more talent for teaching than
Dr. Blimber. Mr. Davis knew any quantity of Greek, Latin,
Algebra, and ologies of all sorts, so he was called a fine teacher;
and manners, morals, feelings, and examples were not con-
sidered of any particular importance. It was a most unfortunate
moment for denouncing Amy, and Jenny knew it. Mr. Davis
had evidently taken his coffee too strong that morning; there
was an east wind, which always affected his neuralgia; and his
pupils had not done him the credit which he felt he deserved;

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